A New Dawn
by IronHeartWriter
Summary: Post Dark Knight. Bruce encounters a new villainess in Gotham, but essentially doubts whether her heart is even as dark as it seems. Possible Dark Knight spoilers! Completed!
1. Phoenix Rising

AN: Hello, hello, hello

**AN: Hello, hello, hello! Welcome to my first Batman Fanfic! Yes, I know this chapter might not be the best, but the story itself will be **_**amazing**_**, I assure you of that. First chapters always are a little shaky, no matter how long you've been writing stories. For those of you reading my Iron Man story, don't worry, I'm not dropping it! It'll still be updated; I just got the idea for this story after The Dark Knight and had to start it up.**

**So, I hope y'all enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I Own only what you don't recognize, the rest belongs to DC comics!**

Chapter 1

Bruce Wayne smirked as he walked into the loud club. It was the club's opening night, and already he could see it was going to be probably the most successful club in Gotham. The club's walls were painted the darkest black, but had designs of flames all over them. They suit the name of the club, Flame. As he walked towards the packed bar, his eyes widened in awe at the sight of a tank of sorts right above the dance floor that had multicolored flames inside that were making intricate designs.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

Bruce whirled around to see a woman walking towards him. Her hair was as black as the walls with red streaks running through it. She had beautiful features, he had to admit, but when he looked at her eyes, he was slightly taken aback. Where his eyes were calming and blue, hers were deep red.

"I'm Zoey," The woman said, holding out her hand. "Welcome to my club, Bruce Wayne."

"How do you know who I am?" Bruce inquired as he shook Zoey's hand.

Zoey smiled, "Who in Gotham _doesn't_ know who you are?"

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Bruce said, making Zoey laugh.

"Come on," Zoey said. "Let me get you a drink."

She led Bruce through the filling club to the bar. The bar was also made out of a case that had multicolored flames inside of it. Zoey slipped under the bar, "What can I get you?"

"How about your finest whiskey?"

Zoey nodded and got the drink, "So, tell me something, what brings you to my club?"

"You advertised it well," Bruce said, sitting on one of the stools. "And apparently everything advertised about it is true."

Zoey nodded, "I don't believe in lying when it comes to business."

"That's a good quality," Bruce said with a nod. "Now, can I ask you something?"

"Go for it," Zoey responded.

"Are your eyes naturally red?"

Zoey smirked, "No, my blue eyes are in my pocket."

"Huh?" Bruce gave her a confused look and Zoey burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry," Zoey said finally. "I'm just _so_ sick of people asking me that. My eyes _aren't_ naturally red. I was born with brown eyes, but when I was like eight, I was in a car accident that nearly paralyzed me. To save my nerves, the doctors gave me some drugs that saved me from paralysis, but turned my eyes red as a result. It was the first and last time they ever did something like that to a child…."

"Interesting," Bruce mused. "Are you from Gotham?"

"I was born here, in Gotham General," Zoey said. "But I moved around a lot when I was a kid. I just moved back into town two weeks ago."

"Cool," Bruce said. "Well, welcome back."

"Thanks," Zoey said with a smile.

"Hey, Zoey, we need more change!"

Zoey found the source of the interruptions; one of her bartenders. She rolled her eyes as she turned to Bruce, "Sorry, duty calls."

"It's alright," Bruce said. "What do I owe you for the drink?"

"Don't even worry about it," Zoey hummed as she walked away. "Just be sure to come back again."

Bruce smiled as Zoey disappeared into a back room. _Oh, I'll be back alright, sweetheart…._ He put a card with his number next to his empty glass as he left the club.

"Master Wayne, you can hardly run your company if you insist on sleeping all day!"

The voice cut through Bruce's dream like a knife. His dream had been full of people, but it had centered around a certain woman with red eyes….Until she started talking in the voice of Alfred Pennyworth.

Bruce opened his eyes reluctantly as the sunlight poured through the windows around him. He groaned and pulled a pillow over his head.

"Alfred, nine AM is hardly sleeping all day," Bruce grumbled.

"But you might want to hear the news," Alfred said. "There was a break in at Gotham National Bank late last night."

That got Bruce's attention. He sat up and flicked on the plasma screen TV that was across from his bed.

"….A new gang of criminals has manifested itself in Gotham City," The female reporter was saying on GNN. "Last night's break in at Gotham National Bank was a mysterious one, in which the lock of the high-security vault was melted entirely. Other than the melting of the locks, there was no evidence left behind. The security cameras show shadows moving around and taking money, but nothing else."

"Shadows?" Bruce said. "Since when do shadows have the ability to melt vaults?"

"It _is_ mysterious," Alfred agreed.

"And the bat signal, Alfred?"

"Sir, do I need to remind you that most of Gotham considers you a criminal as well now?" Alfred asked. "I wouldn't be surprised if Batman was thought of as the criminal."

"Well, I have an alibi for last night," Bruce said with a yawn. "I met Zoey last night."

That night, Batman was sitting perched outside Commissioner James Gordon's apartment, waiting. He felt like a true bat, hunting down his prey. It was drizzling on his back, but he paid the rain no attention.

_Come on, Gordon,_ Batman thought irritably. _I have other things to do tonight…._

Finally he heard the footsteps. Gordon appeared at his front door and at first did not see who was waiting for him in the shadows. Batman cleared his throat.

"I was wondering whether you were going to surface again," Gordon said as he turned to face Batman. "The entire precinct is after you."

Batman shrugged, "I'm still going to continue what I do, whether or not I'm perceived as a hero. You know I'm innocent."

"_I_ do," Gordon agreed. "But I did as you asked me; I blamed you for Harvey Dent's death. There's now a warrant out for you."

"Tell me about the robbery," Batman pressed on.

"I don't know what I can tell you that you didn't already hear," Gordon said. "There are no new leads on it."

"Just a mysterious break in?" Batman inquired. "Hardly seems like anything normal in the way it was described. Shadows and a melted vault? It sounds supernatural to me."

"It very well may be," Gordon agreed. "Are you intending to look into it?"

"You're damn straight I am," Batman said as he flew off.

The night crept by slowly for Batman as he stood atop the highest buildings in Gotham. He was waiting, anticipating what was to come. Suddenly, he heard it; sirens in the distance. He flew off, gliding through the cold night air with ease. He arrived to the downtown bank before the police even arrived. There were three masked people waiting outside, guns in their hands. Batman paid them no worry as he merely flew around to the back and slid through the open back door.

"Phoenix," A man was saying. "The police are on their way."

"Shut up!" A female voice responded. "I have a goddamn job to do, and I'm going to fucking get it done. The dumb asses in the front can hold the police off for now."

"Why the hell isn't your invisibility working?"

"I don't know," The one named Phoenix responded. "But it just gives us less time. It's not like the police are going to catch us."

"But I will," Batman snarled as he finally heard enough from his hidden spot. The woman and man whirled around. She was dressed in black leather from head to foot. The woman was tall, and her black hair was pulled back. The minute her eyes found Batman, she grinned.

"Batman," She spoke in a high voice. "How nice of you to come."

She walked toward him slowly, "Last I heard you were wanted for manslaughter."

"What's it to you?" Batman inquired.

"We could use someone like you on our side."

"I don't work for evil," Batman growled.

"That's too bad," Phoenix crooned. "Get him!"

Four men appeared at her sides and began to fight Batman. Phoenix turned to the man she had been arguing with, "Get everyone out of here, _now!_"

The man nodded as the fight continued. Gunshots were fired, but Batman tossed one man after another. His target was Phoenix, and he'd be damned if he let her get away that easily.

"Enough!" Phoenix's voice rang through the bank. "We've got to get out, _now_!"

"Hell no," Batman snarled, flying after her. He caught Phoenix by the wrist. Her reaction took exactly a half second. She kicked him away from her, her eyes blazing. They were a dark red color…Had they always been like that?

"You're fucking with the wrong bitch," Phoenix snarled. She tore off his glove and held one of his hands in hers. It immediately began to burn. Batman pulled his hand away, and before he could retaliate, she stomped on the ground, creating a cloud of smoke and she was gone.

"Fuck," Batman cursed. "I've seen that trick before…Damned League of Shadows…."

Batman managed to get out of the building before the police managed to get in. He knew that the security cameras were going to show him fighting, but there was nothing he could do about that.

"Damn it," Bruce growled as he settled back at the penthouse an hour later. His body was bruised, and his hand was burning like hell.

"What's the damage this time, Master Wayne?" Alfred asked, walking into the room with a bottle of alcohol.

"Do you have anything for burns?" Bruce asked.

"Burns, sir?" Alfred repeated.

"I met the new evil in town," Bruce grumbled. "She's got a _hell_ of a fiery personality."

"It's a she this time?" Alfred asked.

"Her name's Phoenix," Bruce said. "She seems like a dictator."

"But all she's after is money?"

"I _highly_ doubt, as evil as she was, that she's working alone, Alfred."

Bruce began to tend to his burned hand when his cell phone chimed, signaling a text message.

**You didn't come tonight.**

**I hope you can make it tomorrow.**

**Zoey.**

Bruce smiled, "Sorry, Zoey, but my own duty called."


	2. Caught

AN: Well, the story's only been up for 2 hours and already I see a review and 2 alerts…

**AN: Well, the story's only been up for 2 hours and already I see a review and 2 alerts….Thanks so much! That just encourages me to keep going!**

Chapter 2

Zoey Smith sighed as she began counting out money from the cash register. It was seven AM, and she had yet to go home from the night before. The club's second night had been a crazy one. She was desperately thinking about the bed upstairs that was calling her name when the door to the club creaked open. To her immense surprise, Bruce walked in.

"What are you doing here?" Zoey asked, a smile coming to her face.

"I was actually hoping that you'd be here," Bruce said, walking to the bar. The club was now dim, with both fire tanks extinguished. "I hope you weren't waiting for me specifically last night."

"I kinda was, and I kinda wasn't," Zoey admitted. "I thought it was too good to be true that Bruce Wayne was actually going to come back to my club."

Bruce smiled, "I'm nothing special."

Zoey smirked, "If you're saying that, you're even more special than I thought. You're the goddamn king of Gotham."

Zoey leaned onto the bar, forgetting the money for a second. Her red eyes glittered slightly, "I'm happy that you came by now."

Her eyes caught sight of a bandage over Bruce's hand, "What happened?"

"Burned myself while cooking," Bruce said. It wasn't exactly like he could tell the truth to this woman, as much as he was starting to like her.

"I'm sorry," Zoey said. "Here."

She pulled a tube out from under the bar, "The guys who were installing the fire tanks before I opened left this here. It's supposed to heal burns."

"Thanks," Bruce said.

"Here, let me help you."

Zoey gently took one of Bruce's hands in hers and slowly took off the bandage that was wrapped around it. She hissed slightly when she saw how badly his hand was actually burned, "Did you arm wrestle with the fire itself?"

Bruce laughed, "Are you always so nosy, or is it just with me?"

Zoey arched one eyebrow, "I am not nosy; I'm merely curious."

"You know what they say," Bruce said as Zoey squirted some of the jell out of the tube. "Curiosity killed the cat."

Zoey smirked, "This is going to sting a little."

The jell did sting like hell as Zoey rubbed it into his hand, but the more she rubbed it in, the more the pain deadened.

"Wow," Bruce said as Zoey began to re-bandage his hand. "That stuff actually worked."

Zoey shrugged, "I never tried it out. Hopefully, I'll never have to."

"Where do you live now?" Bruce inquired.

"Here," Zoey laughed. "Well, upstairs technically. At least until my house is done being built."

"I know what that's like," Bruce rolled his eyes. "My parent's house was burned down a little over a year ago. It's still being rebuilt."

"My parents are gone," Zoey said with a sigh. "They were killed in the car accident that resulted in my change of eye color."

"I'm sorry," Bruce said. "My parents were murdered when I was a kid as well."

"I know," Zoey responded. "I know more than you think I do."

"Really," Bruce said challengingly. "What _do_ you know?"

Zoey smirked, "If I told you, then I'd have no secrets for myself, Mr. Wayne."

She leaned over the bar and kissed Bruce gently on the lips. Bruce was surprised, but he'd be damned if he let Zoey get away with just a _gentle_ kiss. Before she could move away, he put his good hand on her cheek and deepened the kiss. He felt Zoey moan into the kiss as his tongue dueled with hers.

"Bruce," Zoey gasped when they broke apart. "I don't think we should—"

"Worried?" Bruce smirked.

"Hardly," Zoey rolled her eyes. "Bruce, there's more to me than you're thinking, and there are some things going on in my life that you wouldn't understand."

"Try me," Bruce challenged.

Zoey shook her head, "Bruce, I _can't_."

"Aha," Bruce's eyebrows rose. "Zoey, I know we all have secrets, but you can tell me anything."

Zoey sighed, "I _highly_ doubt that, Bruce. There are some things about me I can't tell anyone."

Zoey walked the length of the bar and slid out of it. While she had her back to him, Bruce noticed a tattoo on her back, right below her right shoulder. It was a tattoo of a flaming bird…

"_A phoenix?_" Bruce said before he could stop himself.

"How'd you know what my tattoo was?" Zoey inquired.

"I studied a mythology course for a semester," Bruce said, the world around him screaming. "Zoey…."

Before he could say anything else, Zoey's cell phone began ringing. Her eyes widened when she saw the name flashing across the screen.

"Bruce, I gotta go," Zoey said.

Bruce nodded and left, his ears still ringing slightly.

_No way can Zoey be Phoenix!_ Bruce's mind was arguing with him. _She seems so good…._

Bruce's attention was caught a few moments later as a motorcycle roared out from behind the club. He saw Zoey's distinctive red and black hair from under the motorcycle helmet. Against his better judgment, he followed her.

She led him to an abandoned section of the docks. He parked his Lamborghini a bit distant from the storage house Zoey went into and followed her slowly.

"….How's it going with Bruce Wayne, Phoenix?"

"I can't do it anymore, Triton, I _won't_," That voice belonged to Zoey. "I _hurt_ him badly last night."

"You're supposed to be used to all of this already, Phoenix!" The one called Triton snarled. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"I'm a goddamn human, Triton!" Zoey snarled back. "Maybe I did this shit while living abroad, but being back in Gotham…."

"Do you want to meet the same fate as your parents, Phoenix?" Triton asked.

"Of course I don't," Zoey's voice was weaker now.

"Then you'll do as you're told!" Triton yelled. Bruce saw Zoey flinch as if he had hit her. "You were given a mission, and you'll finish it. If you don't, I'll be glad to send you to the bottom of the ocean where nobody will ever find you. We have a deal; you do what you're told and you get anything you want, but if you double cross us, you'll be wishing for death."

Bruce suddenly felt something grab him, _Shit, shit, shit!_ Two men had grabbed him by his upper arms.

"Well," One of them said. "Look who we have here….Seems like Phoenix's job just got easier…."

"Triton!" The other called. "It looks like we've caught ourselves a little _bat_."

Both Zoey and Triton turned around, when Zoey saw Bruce, her eyes widened with fear.

Triton was an aged, but powerful looking man. His muscles rippled down his body as he stood tall and dominating next to Zoey, who now looked like she was about to pass out.

"Perfect," Triton said, his lips curling into a smile. "Bruce Wayne in our midst…. Phoenix, looks like you don't have to go after him any longer…."


	3. Uncertainty

Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks for the reviews and the alerts guys! It makes me so happy to see them!**

Chapter 3

Triton turned to Zoey, "You have _one_ hour. Finish your job, or I'll finish it for you."

Triton snapped his fingers and his insurgents dropped Bruce roughly. They tossed two samurai swords to the floor as they left with Triton. Zoey heard them slide the storage house door shut and lock it. Once she was sure they were alone, she turned on Bruce, kicking one of the swords to him.

"Why did you follow me?!" Zoey demanded as she picked up her own sword.

"Because you gave me a reason to," Bruce responded as he got to his feet. "What the hell is all of this?"

"It's my life, Bruce," Zoey responded, rounding on him. "I wasn't entirely honest with you when I told you about the car accident I was in when I was younger. It was a plot to get me away from my parents. They pissed Triton off when I was a kid and he wanted revenge on them, so he killed them and turned me into _this_."

"Into _what?_" Bruce asked. "You're human, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Zoey responded. "But I'm not normal. I have powers now like you saw last night. I can burn things with a touch of my hands; I can become invisible, and insolid. That's how I rob banks dry without ever leaving a huge trace."

"Why do you do it then, if you clearly hate it?" Bruce asked, quite sure Zoey wouldn't hurt him even though she _was_ rounding on him like a piece of meat.

"I don't have a goddamn choice," Zoey snarled. "Either I do what Triton wants or I'm going to die just like my parents did!"

Zoey sighed, "Ready?"

"Are you serious?" Bruce laughed. "No offense, but I could kick your ass in this. I have _months_ of experience in samurai fighting."

"From Ra's al Ghul," Zoey smirked.

"How did you know?"

"Where do you think I learned to disappear like I did in the bank?" Zoey inquired. "He trained me for a few months as a favor to Triton."

Zoey launched for him, but Bruce was more than ready. He blocked her attack without much effort.

"Why are we doing this when we should be trying to get out of here?" Bruce asked, dodging another swipe of Zoey's sword.

"You're getting out of here no matter what," Zoey said.

"What about you?"

"I can't save both of us," Zoey shrugged. "Don't worry about me."

"Triton will kill you if you let me go."

Zoey shook her head, "Triton would make me feel pain, but he'd never kill me. He's trained me for seventeen years, whether or not he's willing to admit it, he's got a soft spot for me."

"Zoey, why would you do that?" Bruce inquired.

"Because I'm not going to have your blood on _my_ hands."

Zoey stood parallel to him, her sword held in front of her, and her red eyes glistening slightly in the reflection of the blade. Bruce inhaled deeply and lowered his blade. He walked toward Zoey slowly and saw her grip on the shaft tighten, but otherwise, she didn't move. He slowly pushed the blade down towards the floor, but he held Zoey's gaze the entire time.

"There has to be another way out of here," Bruce said.

Zoey shook her head, "I know this storage house back to front. Don't make this harder than it already is, Bruce."

With that, she stomped on the floor. There was a loud bang and Bruce fell through a concealed trap door into the water of the bay below. It took Bruce a few seconds to realize what had happened and break the surface of the water with a gasp. Already he could hear footsteps pounding on the floor of the storage house above him. It sounded like an army was getting ready to attack….

"_Where's Wayne?!_" Bruce heard Triton yell.

"He…He escaped," Zoey's low voice came through sounding like she was talking through a pillow.

"Liar!" There was a thump on the floor above and Bruce was sure Zoey had hit the floor. "You helped him escape! Get her!"

Bruce's mind immediately kicked into overdrive. He had to get back to Zoey, but not without a little help. He swam back to the docks and sped his Lamborghini back to the penthouse where he changed into Batman. Once his suit was securely on, he flew back to the docks. He landed lightly on the roof of the storage house, hearing clearly the battle raging below.

"I can keep this up for a lot longer than your men can, Triton," Zoey snarled.

"Don't lie to yourself, Phoenix," Triton laughed. "For ever man you burn, two come in his place. You can't become invisible or insolid in here, nor can you keep up your burn trick indefinitely until you learn complete control over it."

Bruce pulled back a roof tile so he could see what was going on. Zoey was on her feet, fighting two men at once. He watched as she grabbed both of their arms; the men began to scream in pain two seconds later. Zoey tossed them, but as she did so, two more men tackled her from behind. Zoey hit the floor and more men launched at her. Bruce had seen enough. He pressed a small device on one of the heels of his boots and a loud shrieking sound rang through the air. Bruce saw the cloud of bats rise up and head towards him.

_Gotham always did have a lot of bats,_ Bruce mused as he dropped the device through the roof and flew down with it. The bats filled the storage house and chaos ensued as Triton's men scattered.

"It's only the Batman!" Triton yelled through the chaos. "Forget the bats! Get him!"

But it was no use. The storage house was in complete disarray. Bruce picked Zoey up in his strong arms and flew back up without even getting hurt. In his arms, Zoey whimpered. Bruce felt her hand go up his arm and his skin began to burn.

"Zoey, stop it," Bruce said. "It's me, Bruce."

Zoey was apparently very disoriented. She closed her hand and inhaled deeply, "Sorry."

"It's fine," Bruce responded.

"Thank you."

Zoey slept deeply over the next few hours once Bruce brought her back to the penthouse. She had been bleeding badly when Bruce had rescued her, but he and Alfred managed to patch her up while she slept.

"Rescuing criminals isn't your usual, Master Wayne," Alfred said once they were both sure Zoey would be alright. They left her to sleep in Bruce's bed and went to talk in a different room

"She's not a criminal, Alfred," Bruce said. "She's confused and scared; she doesn't know anything else."

"She's brainwashed then?"

"I don't know what she is, Alfred, but whatever it is, isn't evil," Bruce sighed. "When I spoke to her, she seemed to know a lot, but her actions—"

"Speak otherwise," Alfred finished for him.

"She was born in Gotham, and she seemed to know the city pretty well, even for someone who hasn't been back for seventeen years."

"I think you've taken a liking to her because she reminds you of someone," Alfred said pointedly.

"Oh yeah?" Bruce inquired. "Who?"

"The person you see every time you look in the damn mirror," Alfred said. "Or the person you used to see at any rate. Even you've changed in the last few years…."

Bruce blinked, "Thanks….I think."


	4. Internal Struggle

AN: Happy Sunday guys

**AN: Happy Sunday guys! I had an AH-MAZING weekend at my friend's house and was so happy to find the reviews waiting for me! Thanks so much for them and keep them coming!**

Chapter 4

Zoey's brain was kicking into overdrive as she began to wake up. She was _very_ disoriented. The last thing she remembered was fighting a bunch of Triton's insurgents; she was rather unsure of where she was at that second. Her eyes opened slowly, feeling as though they had weights on top of each of them. She was momentarily blinded by the sunlight streaming through the windows. In all honesty, she'd felt like she had been shot, again.

_It's not like that hasn't happened before_, Zoey thought as she sat up slowly. _Where the hell am I?_

"That was quite some fight you were putting up."

Zoey gasped slightly and looked around, she saw Bruce leaning against the doorpost between two rooms. Her fear was instantly replaced by anger.

"You saved me?" Zoey inquired. "Are you _insane?_"

Bruce wasn't sure whether he should laugh or not, "You sounded pretty thankful when I flew you out of there."

"Because I wasn't in my right mind," Zoey said as she stood up, her ribs throbbing in pain. "Bruce, I _told_ you I didn't save myself with you for a reason! He's going to fucking kill me now!"

"Not if you kill him first."

Zoey glared at him, her dark red eyes making the look seem all the more threatening, "What makes you think I would do that?"

Bruce was slightly taken aback, "Huh?"

"Bruce, this is my _life_ whether I like it or not," Zoey snarled. "I'm not _good_ like you are. I was trained for _seventeen years_ to be the way that I am, and despite what you may think of my lifestyle, _I like it_."

"Triton killed your parents," Bruce said. "He killed them in cold blood and now you go around working for him like that's what you were meant to do in your life. Do you really think that if your parents were alive, that they'd want you to go around robbing banks and killing people?"

"I never killed anyone," Zoey said. "But I didn't save anyone either. As for my parents, I'll never know what they wanted, because like you said, Triton killed them."

"Zoey, you may not believe that you're not meant to be evil, but I do," Bruce put his hands on either one of her shoulders. "I can see it in your eyes that you don't want to be doing all of this."

Zoey stepped back from him, "I saved you once, don't expect me to do it again."

With that, she stomped on the floor, and vanished in a puff of smoke. Bruce groaned and flopped down on his bed. It was going to be harder than he thought to get through to Zoey. He _really_ did not understand how her head was working; one minute she seemed normal and fine, and the next, she was acting like the devil incarnated. And yet, she still wouldn't hurt him.

_Compassion, maybe?_ His tired mind tried to reason. _I was her target in Gotham City, and yet she's fighting against herself on whether or not she should actually kill me…._

"This doesn't make any goddamn sense," Bruce finally said out loud. "Zoey, if you're looking for trouble, I'm going to give it to you."

Zoey was a mess. She returned to the loft above her club to try and clear her mind, but the longer she tried, the more confused she became.

_I never questioned my missions before_, Zoey thought angrily, running her hands through her hair. _Now I return to Gotham after seventeen goddamn years and I'm fucking crippled by the thought of doing anything bad_. Zoey laughed in spite of herself, "What the hell has this town ever done for me other than assume me dead?"

_Admittedly, disappearing without a trace for seventeen years is enough time to declare somebody dead,_ Zoey's mind reasoned. _Whatever the hell…I can't do what Triton sent me here to do, and now I'll be lucky if a beating is all that I get_.

As if someone had been listening to her thoughts, a black cloud seeped in through one of the windows Zoey had opened to let fresh air in. The cloud elongated and triton materialized into view.

"What are you doing sitting around here?" Triton demanded.

"Licking my goddamn wounds," Zoey responded bitterly. "Your fucking insurgents beat the shit out of me. You should actually be thanking Batman for saving me; otherwise, you'd have lost your favorite sycophant."

"You're much more than a sycophant to me, Phoenix," Triton said, his manner softening slightly, somewhat to the point of affection as he ran a finger down a cut along Zoey's cheek. "You know that."

Zoey had to stop herself from throwing up as Triton touched her, she clenched her jaw tightly.

"Such resentment I sense from you, Phoenix," Triton said. "Why is that?"

"You bring me back to Gotham, the one place that has _ever_ really been a home to me, and you expect me to keep robbing banks and targeting people without resenting it?" Zoey's eyebrows rose. "I'm sorry, Triton, but I _can't_ do it anymore. I robbed two banks for you, and that's all I'm _going_ to do."

"Your eyes are pink," Triton said as if everything Zoey had just said had gone in one ear and out the other.

"That doesn't surprise me," Zoey said coldly.

"I taught you to be stronger than sadness and pain, Phoenix!" Triton snarled.

Zoey stood up glaring, "I'm a goddamn human, Triton! What the fuck do you want from me?! I have feelings whether you and your demon insurgents like it or not!"

"Gotham City is poisoning you," Triton said quietly. "You have to leave."

"No," Zoey shook her head. "I deserve to live in Gotham City. If you need more proof that I've earned the right to live back in my one true home, fine, I'll give it to you, but I'm going to give it to you on _my_ terms."

Triton shook his head, "You lost my trust, Phoenix. That stunt of yours with Bruce Wayne cost you that."

"I didn't want that to happen," Zoey said. "He followed me on his own."

"You think I don't know what goes on around Gotham City?" Triton asked. "That I don't know what goes on in your own club?"

"You've been spying on me?" Zoey inquired, her eyes narrowing.

"For your own good, Phoenix," Triton assured her. "I'm sending for demons to come and help you. They'll be on your orders and do as you say."

"_I don't want them_," Zoey snarled through her clenched teeth.

"Too bad," Triton said tauntingly. "You've earned the need for them. Screw up again, or try to meet Bruce Wayne and tip him off, and you'll be wishing to be with your parents again. I made you strong, but don't think I won't tear down seventeen years of work in the time span of a few hours."

Triton vanished, but not before shoving Zoey down to the floor. Zoey snarled in pain as she hit the floor, her wounds from earlier causing her great pain. After a few moments she gingerly got to her feet to look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were indeed pink instead of red. She knew what that meant and so did Triton. She was feeling more human than normal, and that was something Triton would not allow to continue. She felt that Triton was going to be back later that night….


	5. A Place To Hide

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

And Zoey was right; He did come back. Zoey had been working downstairs in Flame, her head killing her. She still had yet to hire a manager, so she couldn't take the night off. When Triton appeared, she had to look twice to make sure she was actually seeing him. Once she was certain that it really was him, she darted over to him.

"What are you doing here?!" Zoey demanded.

"Go upstairs _now_, or your club will go up in flames," Triton warned.

"These people are _innocent_," Zoey hissed. "Don't you _dare_ hurt them."

Zoey climbed the stairs to her loft two at a time, Triton behind her. Once she entered the loft, she was grabbed by two men on either side. The men forced her into a black leather recliner as Triton locked the door behind him.

"Weakness," Triton said, rounding on Zoey like a piece of meat. "There's no room for it in _our_ world."

He held out his hand; in it, was a bottle of glowing red liquid, "I assume you remember what this is, Phoenix."

"Of course I do," Zoey said through her clenched teeth as she fought against the men holding her.

"Good," Triton smirked. "Now, I suppose the only question is: Are you going to take this willingly, or am I going to have to shove it down your throat?"

Zoey glared at him in response. The liquid in the bottle was the one he'd given her all those years ago to make her what she was; it gave her the strange powers as well as left her disoriented enough for him to take control of her thoughts and keep her evil. Her mind was finally beginning to clear after so long, she didn't want to take it again.

Triton's smirk grew, "Fine, Phoenix, have it your way."

The four men's grips tightened on Zoey's arms to the point of cutting off circulation as Triton stood over her. Triton wrenched her jaw open as if she were a small cat. Once her mouth was open, he tilted her head back and poured the entire bottle into her mouth. Zoey gagged as the men released her and fell forward. Before she could spit it out, Triton thumped her on the back and she was forced to swallow it. Immediately it burned her throat as it passed through it. She could feel it being instantly absorbed by her blood as it spread through her entire body. The pain she was feeling inside….She knew she would only ever wish it on one person, and that was the one who had just shoved it down her throat.

She collapsed at Triton's feet and he laughed, "You better remind me why I kept you around, Phoenix. I'll be back in the morning to make sure you won't be needing more."

His laugh rang in Zoey's ears as he vanished with his four lackeys. She felt paralyzed by the pain and confusion that was running through her body. She was sure that if she looked in the mirror that second, her eyes would be turning from pink, back to the purest red like they'd been the first time Triton had given her the damn mixture. Zoey never even knew what the hell that liquid was or what it was made of, she only knew its effects: strange powers were given, brainwaves were fucked with so someone could easily make you think what they wanted you to, and oh yeah, a hell of a lot of pain in the entire process.

"Zoey."

Zoey could have sworn she would've had a heart attack had she not already been in so much pain. Her head was already hurting from before, but add the pain from the mixture and she wasn't able to recognize the voice that had spoken to her.

She felt a familiar grip on her upper arm as she was turned over. It took her a few moments to realize she was staring into the eyes of Bruce Wayne. His eyes were looking back at her through the mask of Batman.

"What the hell did he do to you?" Bruce asked as he picked her up and put her on her bed.

"Nothing that he hasn't done to me before," Zoey responded after a few seconds. "What are you doing here?"

"Originally, I was nearby to make sure you weren't causing any trouble," Bruce responded.

"Apparently, I'm not going to be causing any trouble tonight," Zoey said, she had to speak slowly as she was trying to restrain herself from crying. "Just leave me alone…. Please, that's all I want right now…."

"I need to talk to you," Bruce said.

"It's not safe," Zoey hissed. "Triton's having me watched."

"Will you meet me somewhere?"

Zoey looked at him as if he was crazy, "Did you _not_ hear what I just said?"

"I heard it," Bruce said. "But you know as well as I do that you don't give a damn about being followed. Meet me in the park in an hour if you want to hear what I have to say."

"Batman or Bruce?" Zoey's smart ass side shone through her pain.

"One of us anyway," Bruce said and he too disappeared just as easily as he had come.

Zoey wasn't sure what she was thinking when she dragged herself out of bed half an hour later. She changed her clothes and slid out the back door, settling in her prize car, a jet black Range Rover that was complete with a shining platinum grill and matching platinum rims. She drove off into the darkness, unsurprised by how little traffic there was. Hell, it was almost three am, who the hell would be on the streets at that hour?

She pulled the Range Rover into the parking lot of Gotham City Park, and not even three seconds later, a Lamborghini pulled up beside her. She hopped out of her Range Rover as Bruce appeared out of the Lamborghini.

"You came," Bruce said, somewhat nonchalantly.

"I was curious," Zoey shrugged.

"Are you in pain?" Bruce asked, taking a hesitant step towards her.

Zoey nodded slowly, "That thing that Triton shoved down my throat makes walking almost unbearable."

"Here," Bruce held out a small bottle with some clear liquid in it. "One of my employees is good with making medications; this should take away the pain."

Zoey looked at him skeptically, "Do you think I'm insane? Why would I accept something from you, especially if I don't know what the hell it is?"

Bruce inhaled deeply, "It's a concentrated dose of Vicadon _if_ you really must know."

Zoey still didn't take the bottle from him, "I don't need your pity."

"This isn't pity, Zoey," Bruce assured her. "It's compassion. Believe me, you're lucky that I owe you for saving my life, otherwise I would have brought Gordon with me to arrest you for your robberies."

"But you _don't_ owe me anything," Zoey said. "You saved me from Triton's insurgents. We were even then."

"Guess I forgot about that," Bruce shrugged. Zoey was certain he hadn't forgotten, but now that he brought it up….

"You're going to let Gordon arrest me?" Zoey inquired.

"You're a criminal, are you not?" Bruce could be just as big a wise ass as she. "But then again, I figured I may as well wait until he can catch you in the act."

"Then you're going to be waiting a while," Zoey said. "I'm not doing this anymore."

"Oh?" Bruce's eyebrows arched slightly. "You just can't make up your mind, can you?"

Zoey shrugged, "What does it matter to you? You can't do shit to me unless you can prove me and Phoenix are one in the same."

"You _really_ don't get it, do you?" Bruce asked. "I don't want to have you arrested. You and I could work together and get rid of Triton once and for all."

"Or, I'd get killed in the process," Zoey said reasonably. "Bruce, do you _really_ think I'm insane enough to turn on the _one_ person who has the ability to kill me?"

"What, you're indestructible now too?" Bruce felt his confusion growing…

"No, but the _whatever the hell it was_ that he gave me does make me close enough to it," Zoey said. "But if he wanted to kill me instantly or over the time span of days, he'd be able to _easily._"

"I could protect you," Bruce said.

"I don't want, nor do I need _your_ protection," Zoey said. "Besides, you _really_ think that penthouse of yours would keep me hidden for long?"

"No," Bruce said honestly. "But there's another place that would. I want to show you something. Would you follow me in your car?"

Zoey debated for a minute, it was nearing three-thirty am, and her body was beyond exhausted. But something inside of her was telling her to go with him….

"You've got half an hour," Zoey said finally.

"Fine," Bruce responded. "That's all I'll need."

"But, before we go…Bruce?"

"Hmm?" Bruce hummed.

"Can I have that Vicadon?"

Bruce tossed the bottle to her and got back into his Lamborghini. The engine roared to life. Zoey started up her Range Rover as she downed the bottle of liquid Vicadon. She had about 2.3 seconds to pull out of her spot before Bruce shot off into the darkness.

_So, he likes to play games, does he?_ Zoey smirked and stepped on the gas. The Range Rover's engine roared as she shot after Bruce. When Zoey had bought her car, she'd replaced the engine entirely so that she could speed just as well as Bruce in his Lamborghini. She wasn't sure at all where Bruce was taking her, and there was an alarm going off in her head suggesting against it, but as usual, she ignored it.

After a few minutes of speeding after Bruce, she finally had a hunch where Bruce was taking her, and to her surprise, she was right.

They pulled up to a mansion, but not just any mansion, it was Wayne Manor. Even if Zoey hadn't lived in Gotham for years, she still knew that the old structure had burnt down. But to her amazement, the house had been rebuilt almost exactly as she remembered it.

"Wow," Zoey said in awe as she hopped out of the Range Rover. "It's amazing!"

Bruce nodded, "They just finished it. Come on."

Bruce led Zoey into the mansion, and Zoey could barely contain her amazement. The manor looked as if it was hundreds of years old.

"How did you….?"

"I spent a _long_ time tracking down the furniture and paintings and everything else," Bruce responded. "Almost everything is as it was before the fire."

"That's incredible," Zoey said, trying to take in everything she was seeing. Everything looked antiquated, but at the same time, it was just….

"Breathtaking, isn't it?"

Zoey nodded, "I'm sure your parents would be proud."

"I want you to stay here, Zoey."

Zoey turned to him, "Why?"

"Because you're safe here," Bruce said. "Your mind is vulnerable right now and you deserve to be able to clear it."

"What if I don't want to clear it?"

Bruce's eyebrows arched, "Look me in the eyes and tell me _honestly_ that you don't want to have a clear mind for once in your life."

Zoey looked away from him without a word. She couldn't _honestly_ say that she didn't want to be able to think clearly, because she wouldn't only be lying to Bruce, she'd be lying to herself.

"Stay here and clear your thoughts for a few days," Bruce said.

"Triton's going to come looking for me."

"He won't find you here," Bruce responded. "Even if he tried, it's dead hard to get in here if you don't have a key. I've learned from my mistakes."

Zoey sighed, "And what about my club? Do you expect me to close _three_ days after I opened?"

"Tell me what needs to be done and I'll do it for you."

"Fine," Zoey said at last. "_Fine_ I can see I'm not going to win against you. I'll stay here for a few days, are you happy now?"

"Very, actually," Bruce responded. "Come on, I'll show you where you can sleep."

Zoey rolled her eyes, glaring after Bruce as he led her up the marble stairs, she had a bad feeling in the back of her mind and the pit of her stomach.


	6. Mixed Signals

AN: Hey everyone

**AN: Hey everyone! I REALLY hate Mondays, did y'all know that? Well, I'd like to take a second to dedicate this chapter to my friend Pearl's Beauty, whose fanfic gave me the jolt for this chapter. You should REALLY check out her Batman fics, they're AMAZING! Thank you so much for the brain jolt that you gave me! ALSO, for anyone reading my Iron Man fic, I'm taking a short break from it due to a massive case of Writer's Block. I should update it by next Monday though, so look out for that! And now, ONWARD!**

Chapter 6

Zoey slept….actually, even she had to admit, she slept _well_ for the first time in a _very_ long time. There was something about staying in Wayne Manor that made her feel strangely safe. Strange….That was another word that was shooting back and forth through Zoey's mind like a bullet. Everything around her just seemed strange; from the fact that she had slept in the house of someone she was supposed to have killed, and the fact that she could actually think somewhat clearly. She just wanted to find some clarity in her life, and she knew that she would never find it if Triton found her first.

_Oh, shit!_ Zoey's mind immediately kicked into overdrive. _Triton was going to go back to Flame today to check on me!_

Zoey felt herself begin to shake as she got to her feet. She needed to find Bruce. She tossed open the bedroom door and slammed directly into the person she'd been about to search for. His hand had been raised as if he were about to knock on the door. But the force from her slamming into him sent both of them to the floor, Zoey landing on top of him. Her face burned brightly as she couldn't stop herself from checking him out. He was still in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. _What time is it?_

"I'm _so_ sorry," Zoey apologized as she scrambled to her feet. Her expression must've said something to him, because Bruce started laughing as Zoey ran her fingers through her hair.

"I'm afraid to ask, but do you _always_ look like a scared little puppy dog when you wake up?"

Zoey rolled her eyes, _Christ Almighty, Why me?_ "Bruce, I've got to get out of here."

Bruce didn't seem to be listening to her. She watched in slight amusement as Bruce gave _her_ a once over with his eyes. _Oh, Lord, help me…._

"Bruce!" Zoey snapped in spite of herself. _Why does he have to be so goddamn hot, and WHY am I actually paying attention to it now?_

"What?" Bruce's own voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

_Jesus God, What was I thinking about?_ Zoey felt pathetic. If that wasn't one of the effects of the mixture Triton had given her, she was going to be _very_ angry. Suddenly it came back to her, "Triton's going to be at my apartment. He told me he's going to go back to make sure I didn't need more of the shit that he gave me last night."

"How are you feeling?"

Zoey paused, her brain feeling numb, "Actually… I feel amazing all things considered, _but_ that _does not_ matter right now! Bruce, did you hear what I just said? Triton's going to know that I'm hiding from him!"

Zoey felt her head beginning to hurt again; she definitely wasn't feeling like she normally did….

"Zo, are you alright?"

Bruce's voice sounded far off and she realized what was going on with her head. Triton _hadn't_ influenced her the night before, nobody had. Her mind was actually _clear_ for the first time in….

"Seventeen years," Zoey mumbled. "Oh, my god…."

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked, taking a step towards her.

"Nothing," Zoey responded. "And that's _amazing!_"

Bruce's eyebrows arched, "You're confusing me."

"Bruce, you said it yourself last night," Zoey reminded him. "My mind was vulnerable. I could have been influenced by _anything_ last night, but I _wasn't_. I have my free will back…."

_Free will, eh?_ A smirk came to Zoey's face. Her mind definitely was feeling clearer than it had in a _long_ time, which would explain the fact that she didn't really mind when Bruce gave her the once over with his eyes….

"Oh, fuck it," Zoey laughed finally. She walked over to Bruce and kissed him passionately.

Bruce felt a jolt of surprise surge through his body when he felt Zoey's warm lips against his own. Hell, Bruce would be the first one to admit that he had an attraction toward Zoey, but he definitely hadn't been expecting her to kiss him like that. He found himself nipping at her bottom lip as she kissed him, his silent plea for more contact. Zoey granted him just that, allowing him to slide his tongue along hers. Bruce felt Zoey moan into the kiss as his arms tightened around her waist.

"Zoey," Bruce's voice was deeper as they broke apart for air. "Are you sure….?"

"Read my lips," Zoey smirked as she began to walk away from him slowly. Bruce followed her, the possessive monster within him roaring wildly. He closed Zoey's bedroom door behind them and walked over to Zoey who was now standing in front of the windows. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. He felt her shiver against him slightly and he chuckled.

"Glad I can make you _laugh_," Zoey said as she turned around. "Now, how about we see if I can make you beg?"

"Oh," Bruce growled. "You really think that you can?"

Zoey laughed herself, "Never challenge me."

"Why?" Bruce inquired, pulling Zoey to him for another kiss.

"Because you'll never win."

Zoey kissed Bruce again, this time not even giving him a chance to react. She pushed him against the bed that she had slept in and straddled him. She continued to kiss him as she pulled his shirt off and began to kiss a trail down his amazingly toned body. She heard his breathing begin to deepen, and a smirk came to her face.

"You _might_ want to breathe," She informed him as she pulled his pajama pants down. Zoey had _always_ been the dominant type, just because Bruce Wayne was the goddamn king of Gotham, she wasn't going to change. She teased at his erection through his boxers, making him groan.

"Music to my ears," Zoey hummed.

She giggled and finally freed his manhood from its boundaries. She was about to grab it, when Bruce grabbed her by the wrist. A questioning look instantly appeared on Zoey's face.

"You didn't think I was going to just sit back while you had all the fun, did you?" Bruce inquired, shifting so Zoey was forced under him.

"One could always hope," Zoey rolled her eyes.

"Why so serious?" Bruce inquired, attacking her collarbone. A chill shot through her body and she arched against his hardness. Bruce pulled her out of the t-shirt she'd been wearing as a nightgown, leaving her only in her underwear. He began to kiss his way south, pausing momentarily at the waistline of her silk underwear.

"I don't bite," He assured her. "But I promise you, if I do, you'll enjoy it."

Zoey giggled in spite of the fact that her breathing was erratic. Bruce tore off her underwear. Her back arched against him once more as he thrust into her.

"Bruce!" Her cry came out as a wail. It had been so long since she'd last had those feelings rushing through her body….. The last time had been….

"Oh, shit!" Zoey gasped. Every single emotion in her body had _vanished_ as if it had been a puff of smoke. Zoey pulled away from Bruce, now not only her face burning with embarrassment, but the rest of her body as well. Bruce was clearly embarrassed as well, but it was mixed with confusion on his part….

"What's wrong?" Bruce inquired as Zoey moved away from him, pulling a sheet from the bed around herself.

"Bruce…Oh, my god…I'm so sorry," Tears were welling up in Zoey's eyes so rapidly she could barely fight them back as they were stinging so badly. "It's just…."

Zoey felt like an idiot; a complete and total idiot. Why the hell had that memory come back to her all of a sudden?

Bruce somehow knew what was going through her mind, "You slept with him, didn't you?"

"Not by choice," Zoey said quietly. She shook her head, "I'm so sorry, Bruce…. I didn't mean to—"

"I understand," Bruce cut off her ramble. "But why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I attempted to block it out for so long," Zoey responded. "The memory of it…_ hurts_ worse than the pain I was in yesterday."

"It wasn't a rape, I assume."

Zoey shook her head, "But it wasn't exactly love either. Demons can't love. It was his lust and my fear for him."

"How long ago was it?" Bruce inquired.

"The last time?"

"It happened more than once?"

"Bruce, you saw me with him," Zoey said, ashamed to look at him. "I couldn't say no to him, and he knew it damn well."

Bruce put his hand on Zoey's shoulder and shook it roughly, "Zoey, don't be so hard on yourself. I wish you would've told me, I would've gone a little slower for you."

"Not your fault," Zoey sighed. "You don't hate me, do you?"

Bruce smiled as Zoey looked at him, "I can't hate you for something like that, Z. Just be honest with me, that's all I'm asking."

Zoey kissed Bruce gently on the lips, "You're amazing. I don't know who else I could've said that to who wouldn't have freaked out on me."

_I'm going to prove that I want to be more than just a friend or a fuckbuddy with you, Zoey,_ Bruce thought as he pulled Zoey close to him so they could both lay down on the huge bed together. He kissed her forehead as she slung one of her arms over his torso. _But I'm still going to kill that motherfucking demon Triton if it's the last thing I do._


	7. Blood & Training

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Zoey and Bruce both fell into their own deep sleeps. As badly as Bruce wanted to feel closer to Zoey, he knew in his heart that until Triton was defeated, nothing would happen between him and Zoey. When he woke up, Zoey was gone, but he heard the distinct sounds of the shower running in the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom.

He groaned slightly as he sat up, feeling the usual twinges of pain from his battle-worn body. His muscles ached to be stretched as he rose from the bed, and he did just as they requested, stretching his toned body luxuriously. He heard the running water of the shower stop, against his better judgment, he left the room. He trotted into his own bathroom for a shower. The hot water cascading down his back did little to relieve the tension that he felt from weeks of training and fighting almost nightly.

As he stood under the running water for a few moments, he couldn't help but question whether what he was hoping to do was right. After all, Zoey was a human and she deserved to have her free will, free of either his _or_ Triton's influence, but Bruce would hate to have to fight against Zoey again, so if it came down to it, he'd rather have himself influencing her.

When he got out of the shower, Alfred was just coming into his room.

"You're becoming more and more nocturnal, Master Wayne," Alfred commented.

"All part of the job, Alfred," Bruce mumbled.

"Well, perhaps you could take a break from your job and attend to Mr. Fox who is downstairs waiting for you."

Bruce smirked, "I think I can do that. How long has he been here?"

"Not long," Alfred responded. "But he told me to inform you that if you want his help before next year, he suggests that you get on with it."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Bruce rolled his eyes. "Where is he?"

"Waiting in the study."

Bruce nodded and trotted down the staircase, "Zoey!"

Zoey had been thinking herself when Bruce's voice squeezed through the walls. But her thinking hadn't been _normal_ thinking. She'd been trying to meditate, something Triton had taught her to do when she was feeling stressed.

_What is my mission in life?_ Zoey's mind mused. _I'm so confused_….

"_Zoey!_"

That was the second time she'd heard it. She opened her eyes slowly. She was still in the bathroom, sitting cross-legged on the floor with one towel under her and a second one around her body. The steam was seeping around her, making the room entirely stuffy; the perfect conditions for meditation. Zoey got to her feet, her long black and crimson hair falling around her face in damp waves. She cracked her neck and went back into the bedroom where she had slept. But then she found the one problem; her clothes were missing.

"Goddamn," Zoey groaned. Her eyes traveled the room, looking for any hint of where her clothes might be. She found only a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom doors. _Hell, why not?_

She heard Bruce call her a third time as she flew out of the bedroom. She followed his voice.

"What the hell is so goddamn important that you couldn't come and find me yourself?!" Zoey demanded as she stormed into Bruce's study. Bruce was sitting in a big leather armchair facing the door, but her face flushed slightly when she saw that he wasn't alone. Standing beside him was a middle aged African American.

Bruce cocked one eyebrow and smirked, "_This_ is Lucius Fox. He's worked for Wayne Enterprises since my father owned it."

Zoey inclined her head slightly, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Fox."

"And you, Ms. Smith," Lucius responded.

"I asked Mr. Fox to come by today to see if he could help you in any way," Bruce continued. "He's the one who is responsible for the _suits_ that I wear."

"Aha," Zoey hummed. "Interesting." She turned to Lucius, "I'm sure you've never encountered something like me before, have you?"

"It depends," Lucius said honestly. "What are you?"

"I'm a human," Zoey laughed. "But I was turned into….this by some shit that a demon forced into my system."

"She was originally given the mixture seventeen years ago," Bruce said to Lucius. "It enabled her to have powers like I described to you before."

Lucius nodded, "Well, it _definitely_ is the first time I've heard of something like this." He looked into Zoey's bright red eyes, and Zoey instantly looked away.

_Jeesh, I know I'm a freak, but does everyone have to look into my eyes?_ Zoey found herself wondering. She hated having bright red eyes with a passion, but that was just another part of her screwed up life.

"Zoey," Bruce said. "You don't mind if Lucius takes some blood from you, do you?"

Zoey looked at Bruce as if he were insane, "Um, yeah I do. I'm petrified of needles!"

Bruce gave her a cocky look, "So, you're not afraid to battle samurais and sleep with demons, but you're afraid of needles?"

Zoey's jaw dropped angrily, "_Don't even go there, Batty_."

Bruce laughed, "I conquered my fears, Phoenix."

Heat was emanating from Zoey's face as it flushed, "Fine, you goddamn bastard, suck my blood, why don't ya?"

"I'll save that offer for later," Bruce smirked. "When it's just the two of us, eh?"

Zoey couldn't stop herself from laughing as she flopped down in a chair beside Bruce's desk, "Where are my clothes, by the way?"

"Alfred probably took them to wash," Bruce responded as Lucius got ready to draw her blood.

"Oh," Zoey growled. Despite the fact that she was still annoyed slightly, she couldn't help but let the attraction she felt for Bruce surge through her veins and feel slightly giddy on the inside. That feeling remained inside of her until she saw the butterfly needle that Lucius was going to be putting into her skin. Her jaw clamped shut of its own will as her eyes slightly widened with fear.

"Which arm do you write with, Ms. Smith?" Lucius inquired.

"I don't write with my arms, Mr. Fox."

Lucius exchanged a look with Bruce, who was now trying very hard not to laugh, "She takes after you, Mr. Wayne."

"In what ways, Mr. Fox?" Bruce inquired.

"She's a damn smart ass."

Bruce and Zoey both burst out laughing.

"Hey," Zoey said. "You asked a question, and I gave you an answer."

"Which hand, Ms. Smith?" Lucius inquired.

"Now that's more like it," Zoey laughed. "I'm left-handed."

"Then I'll take your right arm, if you please."

Zoey extended her arm reluctantly. Before she could say another word, Lucius was drawing her blood. He took two tubes of blood from her. The entire time, Zoey couldn't look at her arm. She hated blood, she hated needles, put those two together and she was certain that if she looked then she would pass out.

"I need a few hours to fully examine your blood, Ms. Smith," Lucius said once he placed a bandage over the area where he had taken the blood from. "I suggest you eat something in the meantime."

Zoey nodded and Bruce gestured for her to follow him. He led her to the kitchen where some food was laid out on the table.

"How do you feel?" Bruce asked.

"Anything but hungry," Zoey responded listlessly.

"You need to eat, Zoey," Bruce said.

"_I'm not hungry_," Zoey snapped as Alfred appeared with her clothes in his hands. "Thank you so much, Alfred, but you didn't need to wash my clothes."

"It was nothing, Ms. Smith," Alfred responded.

"My name is Zoey."

"I'm aware of that, Ms. Smith."

Zoey rolled her eyes, as she was able to see where that conversation was going, "_Please,_ just call me Zoey."

Bruce sighed, "Are you always this grumpy?"

"Only sometimes," Zoey responded as she took her clothes from Alfred.

"Well, if you're not going to eat, then get dressed and meet me out in the backyard," Bruce said.

"Why?"

"You'll see."

Zoey got dressed and wandered out into the backyard a few minutes later. The backyard of Wayne Manor was by no means small. It was _enormous_ and Zoey could barely see the end of the wide stretch of grass. What she could see was Bruce hitting a large punching bag and she suddenly got a feeling as to why he wanted her outside. She tied her hair up in a long ponytail before clearing her throat.

"Physicality," Bruce mused. "That rule doesn't apply to you, does it?"

"Not entirely," Zoey agreed. "My insolidity and my invisibility make physicality something that I don't often have to worry about."

"Then this will be interesting."

Bruce launched for Zoey, delivering a roundhouse kick to her waist. Zoey staggered slightly, surprise surging through her body along with the adrenaline. She hadn't been expecting that at all. Before she could react, Bruce's arm came in contact with her neck. The pain jolted through her body, but she was quite sure that he hadn't broken anything. Yet.

_Enough of this!_ Zoey's mind screamed. She grabbed the wrist of the arm that had slammed into her neck and twisted it. "What the fuck!"

"Always be ready," Bruce reminded her. He tripped her easily and stood over her.

"I always am," Zoey responded, kicking him from behind. He fell off of her and Zoey flipped herself onto her feet. Now she really _was_ ready for him when he came at her. She caught his wrist as he tried to punch her and flipped him onto his back. "If you wanted a sparring partner, all you had to do was ask."

Bruce smirked as he kicked Zoey away from him, "You and I both know that what we're doing is more than sparring."

"Considering you almost just snapped my neck, yeah I do know," Zoey snarled. She kicked Bruce's ribcage strongly. "My question is why?"

"Because we're able to do it like that," Bruce responded. He caught Zoey's ankle as she tried to kick him again and sent her spinning through the air. "But I have one advantage over you."

"Think so, do you?" Zoey inquired as she rose to her feet once more. She had more fight in her than Bruce had originally thought, and that was before she used any of her powers. "You may be taller and weigh more than me, but where I come from, we have a saying."

"Which is?"

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

With that, Zoey tackled Bruce to the ground, as if to prove her point. She had landed on top of him, her face inches from his. They were both breathing heavily, but after a few moments, they both started laughing.

"You're stronger than I thought," Bruce commented, pulling the band out of Zoey's hair so her dark hair cascaded around her face once more.

"That's your fault for underestimating me," Zoey said as she ran a hand through her hair. "You owe me a massage now for what you did to my neck. That was just plain uncalled for."

Bruce smiled, "I think I might be able to do that."

Bruce pulled Zoey closer to him and kissed her. The kiss started out slow and gentle and slowly progressed into something more. Their tongues dueled in silence for a few moments before they broke apart for air. Zoey put her head down on Bruce's chest, inhaling both his scent and the scent of the grass that they were laying on. Everything seemed almost perfect in the world as Bruce rubbed his hand idly back and forth along her back.

"I love you."


	8. Deception?

AN: Hey guys

**AN: Hey guys! I also hate Wednesdays, did y'all know that? It's the **_**longest**_** day of the week…. Anyways, things are going to be a bit **_**different**_** in the next few chapters, but don't worry, they'll be just as good as always. Enjoy! Oh, and thanks for all the reviews, Y'know I love 'em!**

**PS: I just got the novelization of The Dark Knight last night... So far, so good! **

Chapter 8

Both Bruce and Zoey's cheeks flushed slightly. They had said it together and to each other. Zoey giggled as she put her head back down on Bruce's chest, hearing the rhythm of his heart; a calming melody to her ears.

"You know, now you have to prove yourself to me," Zoey informed him. "Mr. Billionaire playboy."

Bruce chuckled, "You don't think I'd do anything to hurt you, do you?"

Zoey shrugged, "I honestly don't know. Your reputation precedes you though."

"Zoey," Bruce laughed, shaking his head. "I _have_ had relationships before, believe it or not."

Zoey sat up slightly, sitting on Bruce's pelvic bone. She pushed her black and crimson hair out of her face and sighed, "I need to go back to my apartment."

"Why?" Bruce inquired.

"I can't live in one outfit forever, Bruce," Zoey said in slight amusement. "You don't really expect me to live in Wayne Manor forever, do you?"

"No, but I don't want you painting a target on your head either by staying somewhere where you're in danger," Bruce responded.

"_Fine_," Zoey growled. "At least let me go home to grab some clothes so I won't have to live in one outfit forever."

"Alright," Bruce relented. "But do you want me to come with you?"

"_No_" Zoey said firmly. "I want to think for a little bit. I'll be _fine_."

Zoey left Wayne Manor a few minutes later and headed back uptown to the deserted club. Zoey felt chills erupt over her body as she entered the dark club. She was regretting the choice she had made about not having Bruce come with her. The stairs that led to her apartment creaked under her feet, doing nothing to calm her down.

"Stop it, Zoey," She reprimanded herself as she unlocked the door to the apartment. "This is _your_ club. What's the worst that can happen?"

She turned on the light before entering the apartment. Everything looked exactly as she had left it. With a deep breath she walked into the apartment.

"Expecting somebody?"

Zoey screamed as she felt something close around her neck. She whirled around, facing Triton with an icy glare. The demon was smirking at Zoey as she tried to look brave before him.

"What the hell did you put on me?" Zoey demanded, feeling something metal around her neck.

"A collar for a traitor like you," Triton growled. "It's got a hold over your powers so you can't use them. You're going to pay for going over to the other side. But first…." Triton's smirk grew. "Call Bruce Wayne."

"No," Zoey snarled. "I won't do _anything_ to hurt him."

"Oh, really?" Triton said in an amused tone. "Not even for these?"

He held out his hands and two glowing orbs appeared in them. Zoey gasped, recognizing what they were.

"Spirit orbs," Zoey whispered.

"Containing the spirits of the two people you loved most."

"_You Bastard!_" Zoey snarled, launching for him. Triton caught her and tossed her against the wall like a rag doll. She hit the wall with a crunch and left a rather big dent behind.

"You're useless without your powers, Phoenix," Triton snarled, standing over her. "You're lucky I valued you so much as a general over the others otherwise I'd kill you this second; but I'm giving you another chance. You're going to call Wayne and when he gets over here, you're going to do as I say. If you obey, then your parents' souls can be freed; if not, you'll join them in your own Spirit orb."

Zoey exhaled slowly. The room around her was still spinning from being thrown around. She was hating herself on the inside….

_Did you honestly expect things to be so easy?_

Bruce entered the darkened club half an hour later. Zoey had sounded horrible when she'd called him asking him to come by. She had said she heard something unusual around the club and didn't want to leave the apartment without him. He climbed the creaking stairs two at a time and opened the door to the apartment.

"Zoey?" Bruce's voice echoed slightly. He saw Zoey's red eyes glowing through the darkness of the apartment, but suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and the world closed around him.

Hours passed, it was around one AM that Zoey sought out Triton. He'd taken both her and Bruce to another hideout of his. This one was made out of stones and metal and was situated on the outskirts of Gotham City. Zoey hadn't seen Bruce since Triton had knocked him out, but that, sadly, wasn't her main concern at that point.

"I did what you told me to, Triton," She snarled, storming past his demon sycophants. "You have Bruce Wayne; now give me the damn Spirit orbs."

Triton laughed, "You think I'd give them to you that easily? Phoenix, your job for me is far from over. In fact, you're going to lead in the unraveling of both Bruce Wayne's mind, and your own."

"Son of a bitch," Zoey snarled as four demons grabbed her by her arms.

"Language, Phoenix," Triton taunted as he advanced on her. "It's not wise to curse the mother of the one who controls your existence."

Zoey winced as Triton ran a nail down the side of her face; cutting into her skin and making it bleed.

"Such a beauty," Triton sighed. "It's _really_ a shame that it has to be like this, Phoenix. You're just lucky that I _do_ in a way owe you for seventeen years of devoted service."

Triton turned to his group of sycophants, "Come, bring her to Bruce Wayne's cell, I want him to witness this before she goes to work on him."

Zoey was dragged by the four down a long corridor. The walls were made of stone, giving off a very somber vibe. They stopped before a steel door. With the snap of Triton's fingers, the door slid open. Zoey saw Bruce on the floor, still unconscious. One low level demon dumped water on him and he woke with a jolt.

"Hello, Mr. Wayne," Triton sneered. "I hope you're well."

Bruce paid no attention to the demon. His eyes were on Zoey, who was struggling against the four that were holding her. He wasn't sure whether he should be pissed at her or not. She had set him up in the first place. It was entirely her fault that he was in this goddamn mess. But then his eyes found the collar around her throat. There was something strange about it; actually, once he thought about it, there was something strange about the entire situation. Why was Zoey being restrained by four demons? Why wasn't she just by Triton's side?

"I felt that you should witness this, Mr. Wayne," Triton smirked as the four demons chained Zoey's wrists to shackles that were dangling from the ceiling. Her ankles were chained to two more shackles that were attached to the floor. Zoey knew in the back of her mind what Triton was going to have done to her, and she was dreading it with all of her soul.

She looked Bruce in the eyes and found anger in them. But the anger was mixed with a few other feelings as well; confusion, sadness…love? Oh, hell….

Zoey felt the back of her shirt torn in half as Triton's demons stood behind her.

"Enjoy, Phoenix," Triton laughed.

"How many do we give her?" One particularly ugly demon asked.

"Two of you," Triton said. "Give her fifty, _each_."

Zoey's eyes widened slightly as she looked away from Bruce. A few seconds later she felt the sting of leather against her back. She would not let herself give in to Triton. She would not show him pain. The demon thrived on other people's pain, but he would not thrive on hers.

_Thirty….Thirty-one…._Zoey found herself counting subconsciously.

"Stop it!"

Bruce's sudden outburst made her lose count and the demons beating her back paused. Her eyes found his once more. She hadn't been expecting him to speak up at all as he seemed so mad at her….

"Triton, you've done enough to her," Bruce said. "It's not her fault what she did, it's mine."

Triton grimaced, "So _noble_ of you, Bruce Wayne, to try and stand up for a piece of shit like her. But don't worry, you'll get yours soon enough."

Triton turned to a third demon, "When they're done, you can take 50 as well."

Bruce could barely watch as the three demons beat Zoey's back. But not once, in the entire time, did Zoey make a sound or even a movement to show off pain. At long last, when she was released, she fell onto the ground, her back red, bleeding, and swelling in some areas.

"Stupid bitch," Triton growled, advancing on her once more. "Get up; you have work to get ready for."

Zoey either couldn't, or wouldn't get up when Triton spoke to her.

_Come on, Zoey,_ Bruce found himself thinking. _Get up!_

As if she'd heard him, Zoey slowly began to get up. But as she did so, she didn't look at Bruce once. He couldn't blame her, he wouldn't want to look at her if they had been in opposite positions and she had stood by unable to do anything to help her.

Triton turned back to Bruce as the group of sycophants left with Zoey, "This is just the beginning of a very long process, Mr. Wayne. Enjoy the quiet time that you have until she recovers slightly."

Triton shoved him back and vanished, leaving him alone in the dark cell.

Bruce had no idea how much time was passing as he sat alone in the cell. There were no windows in the confined area. Only a small cot and different sets of shackles occupied the small space. His mind kept replaying the scene with Zoey; it honestly horrified him. But he had to admit, Zoey was stronger than he would have thought, standing up to the 150 lashes without a single word. His mind could only imagine what Triton still had planned for the two of them….

Zoey showered. The ice water made her back sting, but she'd be damned if she showed any sign of pain to anyone. After standing under the water for a few minutes, she got out of the shower and took the towel Triton had given her. After drying her self off, she eyed the outfit Triton had put out for her in disgust. He was trying to make her look like a whore! There was a short leather skirt, not unlike a schoolgirl's skirt, and a red leather halter top to go with it.

_If my father could only see me now_, Zoey mused miserably. She knew better than to refuse the clothes. It wasn't worth it at all for her to even attempt to. She pulled the clothes on slowly, her back still honestly _killing_ her. After she was finally dressed, she walked into Triton's main room.

"Don't you look lovely?" Triton smirked when he saw her. Zoey nearly gagged when she saw the greed and hunger in his eyes. He stood up and walked to her, "Don't look so miserable, Phoenix, now you get to have some fun."

He walked around her, examining her back, "This looks like it hurts," His tone was mocking.

"Not at all," Zoey responded stiffly.

"Liar!" Triton shoved her back, making her gasp in pain before she could stop herself. "Now, you're going to screw around with Bruce Wayne's mind. Almost literally…."

He extended his hand, revealing a small white pill.

"What the hell is that?" Zoey demanded.

"It's something to induce…Pleasure for men," Triton sneered. "Give it to Wayne and give him one of your handjobs like you used to give me."

Zoey stepped back in disgust, "Hell no, Triton. I'm a goddamn human and I have _morals_."

"I honestly couldn't give a shit," Triton responded. "I'm not doing this so Wayne can get the pleasure of his lifetime. It's a test for both of you."

"Bastard," Zoey snarled. "I can see where the test with my morals would be with me, but what the hell does Bruce Wayne have to test himself from?"

"Temptation," Triton growled. "If he touches you, once, he'll be zapped like he's never been zapped before."

Triton laughed, "You say you have morals now, Phoenix? Where the hell did they come from, because I don't remember them being there all those months ago when you were mine…?"

"I never was yours, Triton," Zoey spat. "I was scared shitless by you. That's all you're good for is spreading fear."

"You flatter me, Phoenix," Triton laughed with an additional shove to her back. Zoey bit back the gasp that time and snatched the pill away from Triton.

"I just have one question," Zoey said. "What happens if I refuse?"

"Then you'll get to go through your own fears," Triton smirked. "And we both know how much you hate…."

Zoey didn't let him finish. She stormed off through the hideout. She knew the entire area like the back of her hand. She should; she helped design it.

"Let me through," Zoey snarled at the guard outside Bruce's cell. "Triton sent me."

The guard nodded, but not before touching Zoey's collar. She felt a rush of energy surge through her.

"What was that?" Zoey demanded.

"Activating your heat abilities at Triton's request," The guard responded as he inclined his head and opened the door to Bruce's cell. Zoey swallowed hard and walked into the dimly lit cell.


	9. Disgrace

AN: Warning, some…I guess adult-ish stuff in this chapter

**AN: Warning, some…I guess adult-ish stuff in this chapter. It's not very long, next update will be longer and darker ;)**

Chapter 9

Zoey's eyes adjusted easily to the dim lighting of the cell. She found Bruce with his back to her, basically just staring at the four walls. She knew that she probably was going to wind up in a cell as well by the time Triton had enough of her…

"Bruce," Her voice sounded distant to her own ears. He seemed surprised as he turned to face her, and his eyes glimmered with a strange interest as he saw what she was wearing.

"Your uniform?" Bruce couldn't help but try and lighten her glum mood.

"Hardly," Zoey groaned. "How are you?"

"I should be asking you that," Bruce responded. "Let me see your back."

"You can't touch me though," Zoey said quickly.

"Why?" Bruce inquired.

"Triton's up to something," Zoey was trying to buy herself time. _Goddamn it…._ "If you touch me you're going to get zapped."

Nonetheless Zoey turned her back to him. Bruce nearly winced when he saw the markings left behind from the whips. Some were deeper than others and some looked like they'd only stopped bleeding minutes earlier.

"Zoey, I'm so sorry," Bruce said quietly.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing to you," Zoey sighed. "Bruce, he has my parent's spirits—"

"_What?!_" Bruce's eyes flashed angrily.

Zoey bit back her emotions, she couldn't afford to get emotional, "There are these demonic devices called Sprit orbs. They have the power to trap spirits within them. He used them on my parents. For seventeen years…. They haven't been able to move on."

Bruce stepped toward her, but she stepped back in an almost comical way.

"_Do not_ _touch me!_" Zoey reminded him, in a somewhat snarling manner.

Bruce gave her an amused look, but nonetheless walked in the opposite direction, "Triton sent you here, didn't he?"

Zoey nodded slowly.

"Why?"

"To test _both_ you and me," Zoey said quietly.

"Zoey, I know you well enough to know that you're not a coward," Bruce said, walking back to her. "Tell me what he wants you to do."

Zoey shook her head, "Bruce, I'm not willing to do what he asked me to. I _can't_ do it. I'd fucking be throwing everything I believe in out the window."

Bruce gave Zoey a confused look. Zoey sighed, hating the confusion in his eyes. Reluctantly, she held up the pill that Triton had given her.

"_This_ is basically a variant of the hard-on drug," She said at last, her face unashamed of admitting it. She could feel her morality sinking deeper and deeper within her. She prayed to god that Bruce would catch on so she wouldn't have to continue.

Thankfully, he did, "He's a sick bastard, you know that, right?"

"That may be true," Zoey said. "But it doesn't help me out of this hole that I'm in, actually that we're _both_ in."

Bruce extended his hand out of instinct to try and touch Zoey's face, but Zoey just moved away again, "_Stop it_," She said warningly.

"So you can touch me, but I can't touch you?"

"Apparently," Zoey said as she paced slowly along one wall of the cell.

"One hour…."

The voice came out of the darkness and sent a chill through Zoey's body. Triton was timing her. She didn't want to even think about what Triton was going to do to her if she didn't do the damned task.

"He threatened you, didn't he?"

Zoey nodded, unwilling to look at him, "Triton knows one of my biggest fears."

"Which is?"

"Drowning," Zoey said at last.

"You're afraid of water?" Bruce asked, genuinely surprised.

"It doesn't matter," Zoey responded. "But if I don't listen to him, that's exactly what Triton's going to do to me; he's going to drown me."

Bruce couldn't listen to her anymore. Her voice was oozing with sadness and pain. He had to do something for her, whether she wanted him to or not.

"Zoey, give me the pill."

Zoey looked at him incredulously, "Are you insane? _No way_ am I letting you do this!"

"I didn't know you were a coward," Bruce was challenging her, striking a sensitive nerve of hers.

"It's not a matter of me being a goddamn coward, Bruce!" Zoey snarled. "It's a goddamn matter of morals!"

"In this part of our world, morals have to take a backseat sometimes."

Tears trailed down Zoey's face as she glared at Bruce. She slowly extended her left hand above one of his and dropped the small white pill into his palm. Bruce downed the pill with ease. The effect on his body was almost immediate. He had been drawn to Zoey since she had entered the room (hell, who wouldn't be when she was barely wearing anything?), but now, he could barely fight the desire roaring within himself to touch her. His manhood hardened at an almost painful rate. He inhaled deeply, trying to keep his mind straight and away from the fact that Zoey _was_ one of the most beautiful women he'd ever been around. That might not have been so hard, but considering how close they'd been to having sex the day earlier….

His mind was not slowing down for a second as he felt Zoey's touch on his shoulders. Just like she had said, she could touch him, but he could not touch her. She pushed him onto the cot, tears still rolling down her cheeks. Bruce's breathing was anything but normal as she straddled his legs.

"Zoey," His voice was deeper than normal.

"Don't," Zoey shook her head. "This is hard enough…."

_Goddamn puns_, Zoey found herself thinking in spite of herself. She pulled Bruce's pants down and inhaled deeply. _You can do this, Smith. It's not like you haven't before…_

She heard Bruce's groan as she began to massage his manhood. Had the situation been _any_ different, she would not have been so embarrassed to be doing so. But at that point, she was just feeling sick as hell to be doing what she was. She refused to look up into Bruce's eyes, knowing that her own were full of shame.

But Zoey did know how to use her hands. Bruce hated to have to admit it at that moment, but what Zoey was doing to him….probably could kill him if his heart pounded any harder. He found his back arching when she put a little extra pressure as she massaged him with obvious skill. Besides all of that, her hands were warmer than normal, which added to his pleasure…. All too soon for his newfound desire, he came into Zoey's hands.

"Shit!" Zoey was blasted backwards not even two seconds later as if she had been hit with something invisible. She hit the floor and skid across it, scratching her back even more. Every other thought gone from his head, Bruce pulled his pants back up and bolted over to her.

"Zoey, what the _hell_ was that?" Bruce asked as he kneeled down beside her.

"Step back from her, Bruce Wayne."

The door scraped and opened. Triton strode into the room with his usual arrogance. Zoey had been knocked unconscious, and Bruce refused to move from her.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Bruce demanded.

"Nothing that she shouldn't be used to," Triton sneered. Two of his sycophants came in and lifted Zoey off the ground. They then locked her into the shackles against the wall, where she hung unconscious. Triton turned to Bruce, "I suggest you get some rest, you'll _both_ need it in a few hours….


	10. Pheonix Flies

Chapter 10

**AN: Hey everyone! Happy Sunday! Sorry it took me a few days to get this chapter up; I got hit with a slight writer's block…. Enjoy!**

Chapter 10

A 'few' hours turned into a few days in reality. Bruce was entirely disoriented as to how much time had passed when Triton next appeared. The only thing that he was sure of was that Zoey was _not_ doing well; he was barely able to get a word from her anymore. When Triton strode into the room with his usual arrogance, Zoey slid from the wall and hit the floor with a yelp of pain.

"Get up," Triton growled. His eyes were on Bruce, but he was clearly talking to Zoey. Zoey rose shakily to her feet. Bruce could see blood slowly trailing down her back once more and he had to fight back the urge to snap Triton's neck.

"You're a worthless piece of shit, do you know that?" Triton snarled at Zoey.

"Takes one to know one."

Bruce's eyebrows rose in surprise, _Did she seriously just say that?_

"What did you say?" Triton snarled, grabbing Zoey's upper arm roughly.

"Get the fuck off of me you _son of a bitch_," Zoey pulled her arm away from him. Zoey was surprising Bruce more and more. He knew that she was sick, not that it was hard to tell, but she'd barely spoken to him at all and now she was just firing off her mouth….

Zoey ducked seconds before a lightning bolt flew from Triton's hand. But out of the darkness, more demons were materializing.

"Bruce!" Zoey called. "If there was ever a time to fight…."

Bruce didn't need to be told twice. He leapt from the cot, using all the skills that he had gained from years of martial arts training. But when Zoey cried out, he froze. Triton's men had grabbed her arms and twisted them back. They held her right before their leader.

"You bitch, I'm going to do what I should have done to you _years_ ago," Triton spat in her face. "Any I'm going to make your beloved Bruce Wayne watch. Let him feel as helpless as he did when his parents were murdered right before his eyes."

Bruce was also grabbed by Triton's men and they were marched out of the small room in a procession of sorts. Bruce's eyes widened when he saw a huge tank of water in front of him. He estimated the tank to be _at least_ 50 feet tall and 20 feet wide….

"Keep him here," Triton snapped at his men. "Make sure he sees."

Triton continued on with the men that were holding Zoey. They went up a curving staircase to the top of the tank of water. Bruce struggled against the men holding him, but the lack of food within his body had weakened him severely.

"Chain her," Triton snarled at his men.

Two chains were woven around Zoey as she struggled to break free. The chains were tightened and she gasped in pain.

"See you in hell, bitch," Triton smirked. He pushed Zoey headfirst into the large tank. Zoey flipped over as she hit the water. She couldn't get out of the chains as she fell deeper and deeper into the tank. She hit the bottom of it, fighting as hard as she could against the chains that were binding her.

"Zoey," Bruce whispered in horror as he saw her struggle weaken and weaken. He felt rage burn within his heart. _Too many people I care about have died_, Bruce thought furiously. _Enough is enough!_

He dug deep within himself and finally found a burst of energy that had been waiting to come out. He pulled his arm free from one of his captors and elbowed him in the neck. He then swept his legs in a low roundhouse kick, making a few other demons lose their footing. He continued to fight relentlessly, knocking out one demon after another….

"Zoey!" Bruce yelled. "Zoey, don't give up!"

Steam was slowly beginning to rise from the top of the tank of water. It rose slowly at first, but then began to bubble and boil. Bruce's eyes searched the tank for Zoey's body, but did not see it within the tank.

"What the fuck?!" Triton snarled as the tank began to crack.

The tank shattered moments later. Bruce prepared himself to feel the boiling hot water, but it never came. Right before the water hit the demons around him, he felt a warm hand close on his forearm, and his entire body felt extremely weird. As the rush of water turned into a pool, Zoey materialized beside him, soaking wet, but otherwise whole. Her eyes were glowing like Bruce had never seen before….

"How did you do that?" Bruce inquired as she pulled him away from the water.

"_Years_ of training," Zoey responded. She turned around and her eyes found Triton's. She leapt easily up the stairs and stood before her old 'mentor.'

"My parent's spirits," Zoey demanded, holding out her hands. "Your demons are dead, and you're all alone, give me what's mine."

"How did you override the collar?" Triton asked.

"I didn't," Zoey responded with a smirk. "It was your own stupidity and quest to humiliate me that made you forget: Demon made iron can't sustain magical abilities in _water_. You've got three seconds before I put you in my position; GIVE ME MY PARENT'S SPIRITS!"

Triton held out his hand and the two Spirit orbs appeared. Zoey took them and promptly smashed them on the ground. The entire room filled with a shimmering white haze as Zoey kicked Triton from the top of the platform. He fell to the bottom of the now destroyed tank, and three pieces of glass went straight through his body. His body burst into flames and disintegrated.

"Oh, my god," Zoey fell to her knees. Her heart was racing and her head was pounding. It was over, Triton was gone…. She was free.

"Zoey."

Bruce was walking slowly up the stairs, a small smile on his face, "You were amazing."

"You weren't so bad yourself with all those demons," Zoey smiled back, sweeping her black and crimson hair out of her face.

"Zoey," Bruce's eyes widened. "Your eyes…."

Zoey's smile turned into a look of frustration, "Bruce, we've been through this. I _know_ I have _red eyes!_"

"No you don't," Bruce shook his head. "They're….Brown.

END

**Stay tuned for the Epilogue!**


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

Epilogue

Batman flew around the rooftops of Gotham City; he was searching for something. His hunt had been going on for a little more than an hour, with no success at finding what he was so desperately searching for. Three weeks had passed since Zoey had defeated Triton. What he had said to her had been true, her eyes had indeed turned brown, but not entirely. They still bore bright red lightning bolt-like zigzags, which told them both her abilities were still intact. Neither of them had been able to find a solution as to why her eyes had changed so strangely, but they were both fine with it.

_There_, Bruce said at last as his eyes found what he had been searching for. His target was on top of Wayne Tower…. _I should've looked here first! Goddamn it…._

There was a shadowy figure just waiting for him. Once he touched down on the top of the tower, the figure sprang to life, pouncing like a wild tiger. But Bruce was ready. He kicked at the figure away, hoping to buy himself a few moments, but he hoped in vain. His leg went straight through the figure and the attack continued. Bruce dodged a punch and flipped his attacker over, removing her mask. Zoey's brown and crimson eyes blinked back at him.

"You took your time," She commented as Bruce released her.

"I didn't expect you to be somewhere so obvious," Bruce admitted. "I won."

"Think so?" Zoey flipped herself onto her feet and flipped over Bruce entirely, grabbing his cowl as she went. "I think it's a draw."

Bruce smiled, "Fine, whatever."

Bruce sat down and looked at the glowing lights of the city below. After a few moments, Zoey joined him.

"Where were you the last few weeks?" Bruce asked finally.

"Soul searching," Zoey responded with a small sigh. "I wanted to see if I could actually find anything out about my parents."

"And….?"

"Nothing," Zoey said, somewhat sadly. "It's as if Gotham forgot them entirely. But I'm not going to let them forget me."

"You know," Bruce said, kissing Zoey's forehead. "I really missed you while you were gone."

"I missed you too," Zoey smiled. "But I wasn't really _gone;_ I was just hiding out for a bit."

"Like I could've found you while you're invisible," Bruce's eyebrows rose.

Zoey smiled, her hand caressing one of his cheeks, "_Bruce_, I'm back _now_, that should be all that matters. I don't plan on going away again for a while, if ever again, anyways."

"Then I want to ask you something," Bruce said.

"Ask away."

"I want you to fight alongside me."

Zoey's smile grew, "As Phoenix?"

"As Phoenix," Bruce agreed.

"I think we could work _something_ out…."

END

**Well, there she ends, for now….Ahhhh, don't get too sad! There's a sequel coming! I **_**might**_** get it up tonight, or tomorrow night at the latest, but I've been planning it for like a week or so, so it shouldn't take long for me to get it up. I hope y'all enjoyed reading A New Dawn as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**PEACE!**


End file.
